A bike made out of cardboard, crazy talk, right? Izhar Gafni of Israel says his strange cardboard bike invention is now very close to begin mass production.

The cardboard bike is expected to cost as little as $20 when it finally arrives, and only $9 to produce. Not bad. That being said, can’t exactly expect this thing to last a long time, but it is a really cool idea.

Here is what the designer had to say about his unique bikes:

“Making a cardboard box is easy and it can be very strong and durable, but to make a bicycle was extremely difficult and I had to find the right way to fold the cardboard in several different directions. It took a year and a half, with lots of testing and failure until I got it right,”

“I was always fascinated by applying unconventional technologies to materials and I did this on several occasions. But this was the culmination of a few things that came together. I worked for four years to cancel out the corrugated cardboard’s weak structural points.”

Besides the various bikes for children and adults, they are also working on a wheelchair out of cardboard that will be ready within a year or so.

It’s amazing what technology and innovation can do. I am curious about how well these thick cardboards really stand up to wear and tear, especially if rainwater comes into play. Nonetheless, awesome idea.